1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is concerned with the field of vehicle windshield wipers. More specifically, the invention is concerned with windshield wipers that are constructed with a removable brush or scrubbing device that functions to effectively remove bugs from the windshield of a vehicle during normal operation of the wipers.
2. Background Information
In certain geographic locations and climates, it is common for airborne and other types of bugs and insects to collide with and become attached to the windshield of a vehicle. The accumulation of such bugs and insects onto the windshield is greatest when the vehicle is being operated, but significant accumulation is known to occur when the vehicle is stationary for a period of time. Removal of bugs and insects attached to the windshield is imperative to ensure safe operation of the vehicle; as such accumulation can significantly impair the driver's vision and line of sight. The most effective means of removing the accumulated bugs and insects is to hand wipe the windshield with a towel and solvent or cleaner. However, this form of cleaning is not always possible or feasible during operation of a moving vehicle. In such instances, the driver must rely on using windshield wipers, which are designed to remove accumulation of water rather than bugs or insects. The wiper blades, for instance, are usually constructed of rubber or similarly flexible material in order to conform to the sloped surface of the windshield for effective removal of water or other liquids. However, wiper blades are generally ineffective in removing or dislodging material or items, such as bugs or insects that are stuck, bonded, or otherwise attached to the exterior surface of a windshield. In such cases, it has been found that a brush-like device attached to the windshield wiper, with means to adjust the pressure applied by the device to the windshield, is most effective in removing bugs or insects attached or stuck thereon.
Numerous designs for windshield wipers have been provided in the prior art. Even though these designs may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, they would not be suitable for the purposes of the present version of the invention; as such designs do not include specific means or devices for removing bugs or insects that have become attached to the windshield of a vehicle. These designs are exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 4,611,364, Windshield Wiper For Land, Sea, and Marine Vehicles, In Particular For Trucks (Lorries) and Passenger Automobiles, issued to Grubner on 16 Sep. 1986; U.S. Pat. No. 4,719,661, Cleaning Device For Motor Vehicle Window Panes, issued to Hanselmann on 19 Jan. 1988; U.S. Pat. No. 5,235,720, Windshield Wiper Assembly with Scrubbing Blade, issued to Kinder on 17 Aug. 1993; U.S. Pat. No. 5,255,407, Multi-Scrubber Type Roller Windshield Wiper, issued to Yang on 26 Oct. 1993; U.S. Pat. No. 5,301,384, Windshield Scrubber and Blade Wiping Assembly, issued to Perry on 12 Apr. 1994; U.S. Pat. No. 5,327,615, Windshield Wiper Blade Assembly Including Conical Cleaning Tips, issued to Green on 12 Jul. 1994; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,406,672, Windshield Wiper System Including Wiping and Scrubbing Blades, issued to Hipke on 18 Apr. 1995, among other patents. As such, it may be appreciated that there is a continuing need for a new windshield wiper with means to remove bugs that are attached to a windshield. In these respects, the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus that substantially fulfills this need. Additionally, these patents and commercial techniques do not suggest the present inventive combination of component elements arranged and configured as disclosed herein.
The present invention achieves its intended purposes, objects, and advantages through a new, useful and unobvious combination of method steps and component elements, with the use of a minimum number of functioning parts, at a reasonable cost to manufacture, and by employing only readily available materials.